Ward Stories: Poetry
NEW YORK CITYVOICES: April/June 2004
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INTRODUCTION
This marks the second New York City Voices' welcome to the poetry of Barbara J. Gewirtz. Barbara enjoys "crafting" with poetry, watercolors, pastels and fabric collage.
She enjoys the spirit and practice of Seido karate. Her poem "Willowy" was published in spring 2002's Healing Nature issue of the Nature in Legend & Story newsletter and, by the time you read this column, she will have been published in�The New York Times!!!
In addition, Robert Reilly, a 57-year-old poet from Staten Island, continues to produce poetry from the unique grounds of South Beach Psychiatric Center where wild turkeys and geese are frequently seen foraging for food. Mr. Reilly thankfully prefers to write about subjects other than the wild turkeys and geese.MY VOICES By Barbara J. Gewirtz My voices seem more like a foursome So very quarrelsome And also loathsome This auditory syndrome Is truly unwelcome Always gruesome Never winsome or wholesome But bothersome and burdensome Causing life to be fearsome and tiresome And also so lonesome ONCE UPON A TIME By Barbara J. Gewirtz Once upon a time there lived a young girl In her very scraggly handwriting and with the intense courage that it took, she detailed her history of bruises and abuses in the inner cover of one school book. If just one educator had seen his or her role to act upon the urgent cries written from deep within her soul and recognize her call for help apart from all the rest she might have been spared the hands of those who said they loved her best. School books are replaceable, and perhaps easily displaced but the psychic pain of school children is not so easily erased. Since hidden pain like a quiet malignancy may grow and in her early years, emotional gravity often may not show once upon a time, that day, a volcanic eruption was staged for latter adult play. Today another child's shaken handwriting is sadly there to see And educators can help heal the hurt, but awareness is the key There must rise a call for zero-tolerance for bruises and abuses. A single child's call is one too many to ignore. FORCES By Barbara J. Gewirtz I'm underground a world of forces I'm fishing through a sea of pills Some oblong yellow, some round and pink Some take, others give Shall we seek one more from the sea? Will it exacerbate my current symptoms? Psychosis Dream a little dream with me. Dissociation Wake me up from these shadows of distorted faces. Shake me up from the shadows of memories that lurk within. Depression Lie close by as my cold hands cover my face. Don't leave me, as your warm hands cup my tears. Early Parkinsons vs. my multitude of medications Balance me that I may think clearly and that my symptoms may dissipate. Balance me that I may not fall as I climb out of the underworld. FORETOLD By Barbara J. Gewirtz I dream in black and white and shades of grey No colorful horizon or bright green pastures Instead, grey skies, black clouds and a dark moon No brilliant sun casts its shine Stars are dim Passers-by clothed glum Walking about ho-hum I dream in black and white White oceans, devoid of luminous blue color Petals pallid, leaves pale Rain-soaked, no rainbow there I awake with black, white and grey foretelling my day SUGGESTIONS By Barbara J. Gewirtz "Wipe that smile off of your face!" That was the suggestion directed to me. Sometimes the best I could do was to change a smile into a smirk. Smirks were just as costly as smiles. They each ended with tears. Today, people suggest� just do it, shower so you will be done with it, clean the dishes so you don't scrounge for a glass, do your banking so you will know what you owe, and pack your lunch ahead so you won't be late. All good and well-meaning suggestions, but these are quick-fix answers when I am depressed. These are intentions from an imaginary sprayer bottle used to wipe out stains, or whatever. The same sprayer bottle I used to think of using to wipe off my smile. FRIENDS AND SOULMATES By Robert V. Reilly There have been special people Who proved beyond a doubt They will always stand by me And never turn me out They have a special virtue They share wholeheartedly They give themselves completely At no charge or fee Although all family members Were kind exceedingly My friends accept me as I am By choice and not decree I love my friends completely For teaching me this law: To love my God as He loves me At one with life's true Source
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